Francis Biden, brother of US Vice President Joe Biden, was briefly hospitalised earlier this week after he opened a package that turned out to contain a mysterious white powdery substance.

The 57-year-old, who lives in Florida’s Ocean Ridge area, told the media that the package was apparently mailed to him from India. His home and the homes of neighbours were evacuated while hazmat teams examined the powder, which was subsequently declared to be harmless.

Francis Biden was taken to hospital along with his girlfriend Mindy. It was Mindy who retrieved the suspect manila envelope from the mailbox, but only Francis Biden came into contact with the powder. Mindy was released from hospital quickly but Francis Biden was kept in overnight before being released.